


Black and White

by LuciferTheRising



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Aurors, Credence Barebone is odd, Credence and the Obscurus became one, Credence needs hugs, Friendship, Love, M/M, MACUSA | Magical Congress of the United States of America, Ministry of Magic, Newt Scamander is odd, Slow Burn, Theseus Scamander is an badass Auror, They both are lonely, and he loves his little brother, but is very concerned about his choices
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 18:01:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8926801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuciferTheRising/pseuds/LuciferTheRising
Summary: Newt saw a little dark shred of Credence Obscurus escape after the wizards and witches of MACUSA finally cease the attacks. He manages to find it, but will Credence survive? And more important: What will Newt do once he catches the last piece of Credence existence?





	

**Author's Note:**

> When darkness hits the light, the light crumbles. The shattered pieces shift, until you find it became an abomination.  
> But when light hits the darkness, it becomes enlightened. Sharp edges become smooth, until you see its beauty.  
> However, there can't be only light or darkness. Everything has to be in constant change, to ensure the balance that keeps everything alive.

* * *

 

As Newt finally found himself on the ship to England, his case held tightly against his slender body, he was able to breathe again. He had never been a good actor, given that people always seemed to be able to read him most of the time as if he was an open book. And in return, he wasn't able to read them. That was a problem that had always startled him. But this time, to his astonishment, he got away with that he was hiding something. Well, literally.

 

Newt couldn't help himself. As he saw that dark shred slip away from the rail tracks, he felt the urge to follow it as fast as he could without arousing any attention. He excused himself and said he felt like he needed some time to think alone after losing a dear friend (He got quite fond of that muggle called Jacob). When he put enough distance between them, he apparated as fast as he could from place to place where the dark shred could have been hiding. Finally, after almost 4 hours of fruitless search, he found it as he almost stumbled into the cold, unforgivable Hudson River. On an empty pier flow the lone shred of the Obscurus without purpose.

Carefully, he approached it and said in a hushed voice: "Credence, I hope you can understand me. I will cast a spell on you so I can take you to a safe place where no one can hurt you. Or you them. I'm so sorry..."

He put what was left of the huge Obscurus into the same bubble-alike spell he had cast on that Sudan girl's Obscurum and guided it into his Case. Then he continued to speak: "I will come back down soon and look after you. But first I have to make sure no one has a hunch about that you could be alive. And we..." He looked like he was searching for something. "I have to get away from New York, soon. My vacation here is over and I have work that is waiting for me back in London. Take all the time you need to recover a bit." He hushed to another case on the ground, put the Occamy eggshells into it and left.

 

He doesn't know if Queenie only stopped to read his thoughts, or if she understands that this should be left a secret, but she hadn't said a word about it. She may have to think too much about Jacob. It's a shame that they had to obliviate him. They would have been quite a great pair. He gave the Occamy eggshells to Jacob, so that he could open his beloved bakery, but Newt managed to get onto the ship without any further interruptions.

Time has been passed since he got a letter from his brother, and he would be pleased to hear that Grindelwald finally got caught. The last thing he heard from him was that he would work on the Grindelwald-case and wished him luck on his travels, wherever he might be.

What an irony, Newt thought, that he and not him encountered Grindelwald and helped to imprison him. And what an Irony, that Newt travels home with that thought-dead Obscurus that Grindelwald had wanted to use as a weapon. If anyone in the Ministry would find out that he helped him escape, he would lose his job, the privilege to write his book and he would get imprisoned to Azkaban. But he couldn't help himself, he had to rescue that poor boy. Without any help, he would just bring more havoc in the end.

Newt doesn't know what to do with him, yet. He can't pretend everything would be fine and hide Credence until the dead embraces him. And he can't just go and tell everyone about the boy. He has to think about what to do. In a week, they will reach Plymouth.

 

As the top of the sun reached the ocean, and the horizon was drawn in red and violet shapes, Newt set down the case he was protecting with his life. His cabin was reserved with protection charms, so no one could get in or out. He opened the lid and climbed down carefully. His beasts had been laying down to sleep as the artificial sun got down, like the real one outside. Even his nocturnal beasts weren't awake, because it was too early for them to awake, so it was no wonder that it was so silent around him. Newt approached them nonetheless, looking for the Obscurials shred. He hadn't found him where he had left him, and something in him told him, that he perhaps vanished, died, and he would have believed it, if there hadn't been that glimbse of hope in him that Credence would be strong enough to survive even the fact that he had been almost destroyed by the witches magic. He had been so strong his entire life, perhaps he was even strong enough to survive this.

Newt reached the Obscurus-habitat and felt a hand on his leg stopping him. Dougals big eyes stared into his. He must have had known where Credence has gone, and so he let him guide the way to the Obscurus.

Bitter cold wind blew into his face, colder as he remembered it, and he had to cast a warming charm on himself and Dougal, so that they wouldn't freeze to death.

The white snow burned in Newts eyes, making him almost blind as he searched for any trace. As Dougal had stopped walking and had dragged him back a bit, he was finally able to see something afar in the snow. A blurry black blob.

He wasn't sure if it was just the Obscurus of the Sudan girl he had in this habitat, or if it would really be Credence. Slowly, he approached it.

It wasn't the Sudan girls Obscurus, it was Credence almost blue, a bare body that was laying in a crouched stance, shivering, and looked at Newt with scared eyes.

Anxiety and happiness spread in his body at the same time. Credence had survived. He dragged on his jacket and wanted to put it around Credences body, but he fought it and crouched away. Newt looked sadly into Credence eyes, which just stared back in shock. "Please, Credence, let me put that jacket around you, or you will freeze yourself to death. You are already blue..." He tried again to put it around him, but without success. He sighed and put it beside him. "Okay, you don't want me to do that, but please, take it! Wear it and come back with me where it is warmer. I can't let you die here!"

Credence blinked. He watched him take some steps back as he hastily grabbed the jacket and put it on himself. Newt smiled. "I can put a warming spell on you if you want..." Credence shook his head quickly. He didn't want any mage fiddling with him again, never.

Dougal became visible and grabbed Newts hand, and Credence almost stumbled over his own legs as he backed off. Newt looked to Dougal and back to Credence. "This is Dougal, he is a Demiguise. You don't need to be scared of him, he is friendly. Without his help, I wouldn't have been able to find you in time in this snow." He said, before he turned around and started to head back, hoping that Credence would follow him. They walked in silence, and Newt wasn't sure if Credence would stay behind him, so he turned around to him from time to time.

As they had reached the warmer habitats, Dougal let go of Newts hand, looked to Credence and vanished. Credence blinked again and looked around him, trying to find the Demiguise, full of fear he could hurt him, like everyone ever did. His edges started to blur into black mist as Newt turned around and caught him in his panic attack. "No, no, no, no, no!" He said, reaching for his wand and casted that Obscurus-spell on him. Credence just panicked more but wasn't able to change to his Obscurus-form again. Shivering, panicked and exposed to Newt, all he was able to do was to try to back off and run away, but even to that he wasn't able anymore. His legs gave in, and he fell to the ground. Newt carefully approached the boy and tried to soothe him: "I'm sorry, but I can't let you just run away again in my case. You would hurt yourself, freeze yourself to death or you would starve. I know you are scared of me, you don't know me, but I want to help you. I can make you your own corner far away from me and my creatures, if you want it, here in my case. You will be safe down here from all people outside that may want to hurt you." Credence froze onto his spot on the ground. Safe, want to help you... All those words he had heard Graves say to him, and they were utter lies, to manipulate him, to use him as he wished for. This one will not be different, he thought. He wants to cage me in and use me like Graves and Mam did.

"Y-Your-Your case, sir?" was all Credence was able to say.

"Yes, my case. It is bigger on the inside. I don't know if you saw my creatures already, but I put them in here as they were sick and hurt and needed a safe place to recover. Some of them are back where they belong. You should have seen my glorious Thunderbird, how he flew away back in New York. I will miss him, but I know he will be happier there, where others are that are like him." Newt said with an honest smile on his face.

Credence didn't know what to think anymore. He knew cruelty, but this didn't sound so. And this man's creatures, as frightening as they were, they didn't look unhappy.

He stared a bit longer at the man until his smile slowly vanished and his gaze drifted apart. Suddenly, his gaze turned back to the boy on the ground, who was startled at the sight. "Yes, yes..." he muttered as he again turned away from the boy and looked like he was searching something. "anywhere has it to be... HA!" The boy was startled again at the harsh sound and the man's sudden turn back to him. "I'm sorry, but..." He smiled brightly at Credence and held some clothes at him. "I got these clothes for you. I already thought that you wouldn't have anything, and you need to wear something, and my clothes are..." He looked on something that looked like it was a wardrobe at some time, now looked like hacked firewood. "Well, take them!" Newt said and beamed at him. Credence wanted to get unconscious at that sight, too mutch to handle for him at this moment, but just continued to stare. He put the clothes down beside him, like he had with the jacket, turned around and walked away. Credence grabed the clothes and put them on as fast as he could, too bare for too long for his liking. "Do you want tea? I have some herbs and I have black one. I prefer the latter with milk. But you can have some water, if this is more to your liking." He didn't respond to the man's question and took a look around him, thinking about what he should do now. If this really would be a case he was in, he may not be able to escape from it. The wizard would have made it impossible. So should he play along? Or should he try to escape, even if that would make the wizard angry and Credence would be punished for it, like for every mistake he did? He couldn't change to his Obscurus-form, he was too weak to fight against the spell that this man put on him. He was at his mercy, so perhaps it wasn't wise to make him angry. Yet.

Credence carefully walked where the voice came from and approached a little, welcoming place, which he entered. He watched the man handling some stuff in his hands, cups and a pot. "You can sit down on the chair. I just..." Newt turned around and looked searchingly. He grabbed more in his hands as he could until he grimaced and let the cups fall into the sink. "I usually don't have human guests..." Newt said as if it would explain his urge to get over with this very fast. He put the pot, some spoons and a knife on the table and turned back around to get the cups as Credence grabbed the knife and hold it towards the wizards direction. Newt looked shocked but caught himself rather fast. "You know, if you want to stab me, you should really take the knife." Credence blinked. "What?" "You took the spoon." "No, I didn't." "You did, look at it." and it was indeed a spoon. Shocked, he let it fall on the table. This had been the wizards work, he had grabbed the knife, didn't he? The man pushed the knife slowly in Credence direction. "If you feel safer with it, take it. I won't hurt you with it or without it, but don't point it to any of my creatures, they will get mad rather quick when they see you with it. And oh, especially don't point it on a round creature with a beak and black fur. Niffler like shiny glittering stuff and he might hurt himself." He told him with a friendly smile. This startled Credence just more, but he took the knife. "So, you haven't answered me what you want, so I assume I give you water and the same I drink with milk. You can choose what you want." He put a glass of water on the table in front of the boy and did the same with the cup. Then he turned back and prepared food. Credence needed a moment before he could mutter a silent: "Sir, why...?" Newt turned to him and blinked "Beg your pardon?" "Why are you doing all this?" He looked on the table for a moment, then answered his question: "I'm starving and I hadn't drunk anything since a few hours." That answer confused Credence, and even with the lack of Newts social skills, he was able to see it. "Oh you mean why I brought you in here rather than putting you back in the hands of those wizards that wanted to kill you... You were hurt, you were scared, no one deserves a fate like yours. You just wanted to protect yourself and that isn't anything that can anyone hold against you... But they may try." "No sir, I meant why did you give me the knife, I could kill you right now." "Well, You can call me odd, but I don't think you really want to hurt anyone." Credence wanted to protest, wanted to scream to him that he was a fool and that he wanted to hurt all those people that had been hurt, but he kept quiet. The man put some food on the table and sat down. He reached to the pot and poured the boy and himself tea into their cups, then added some sugar and milk. The boy was just staring at the delicious looking food, his stomach growling. "Take some. It's enough there for the two of us." He hesitated. It may been poisoned or something like that. Instead, he took the tea, drunk a bit and pulled a face. He didn't like tea with milk, he decided. Newt grabbed some food and stuffed it into his mouth as if anyone would take it if he wouldn't do it. Credence put the knife away into one of his pockets, and slowly took from the food. He bit just a bit into it, just to see if it's eatable, and it tasted good. Then he started to eat as if there would be no tomorrow. Newt smiled at the sight.

Credence fell asleep rather fast. All the food he had shoved into himself drowned the spare energy he had left. His face laid on the wooden table, beside him the knife he had put into his pocket before. He had given it back while he was eating, his face painted with sadness, pain, fear and a glipse of self-hatred. Newts heart almost broke as Credence had begged him for forgiveness, for eating so much and without manners, and had said that he had to punish him now for it. The wizard had protested, said that it was alright to eat so much, particularly after being so long without any food at all, but the boy didn't take anything more from the plate, and they sat in silence until Credence face had hit the table. Newt shrieked up, afraid that he would have given him anything to eat that the boy was allergic against, and that he killed him. But he hadn't. The boy was alive, just all the recent events had caught up and left him too exhausted to stay awake any longer. He carefully took his body and carried him to his bed. He put the blanket over him and hoped that it was warm enough after the visit in the Obscurus-habitat. As he returned to the table full of utensils, he sighed. It hadn't been a good start to gain trust, to suppress the Obscurus and leave the poor boy without any defense. But had he had a choice? He could have left again and he may not have found him this time. Or he had, but dead. He couldn't lose him, especially after everyone he had left behind and lied to in New York. The wizard cleaned up the mess he had made as he had prepared the food.

 

The night had arrived, darkness had spread his wide arms to embrace Newt, but his brain didn't give in. He just couldn't sleep. Too much sorrow gnawed on his tired mind. A cracking noise tore him apart from his thoughts. As his eyes wandered from where the sound had come, he saw his case slowly opening. Credence had awakened and tried to get out of it, as his eyes met those of Newt in the dark. He froze, expected to be punished soon for his failed try to disappear. But Newt just kept staring, his eyes reflected the shine of the starlight that lightens the cabin. No one made a noise, like a predator and prey, waiting for the sound that announces the charge. Minutes had passed by as Newt finally had decided to make the first move: "Do you want to stand there the whole night?" He asked softly, and he could see how the siluette jerked from its petrified stance. "I- I am- I am sorry sir, I didn't..." Credence stuttered, shifting on his space. "No, It is okay if you don't want to stay down there. We are in my cabin on a ship, so it is no problem at all." The siluette froze again. "A –A ship?" Newt nodded and confirmed it: "Yes, on a ship heading to Plymouth, I couldn't stay in New York." Something inside Credence eased and tensed at the same time. He wasn't in America anymore, everyone who had knew him, wanted to hurt him or had hurt him were far away. But now he was completely alone with the man who had taken him the only defense he had and with no way to escape from him. The voice of the wizard shook him out of his hole he dug himself in with his dark thoughts: "Do you want something?"

_Yes I want to get away, I am not meant to be here, you want to use me like all the others, you want to cage me in and make me your mindless puppet like I was for Graves. The Wizard who promised me freedom, who promised me help, who promised to teach me magic, who was kind to me at the beginning... All I want is to be safe, to be appreciated, to be useful, to be liked..._

He couldn't bring his insecurities, his deepest thoughts and wishes out of his mouth, regardless of how much he wanted to scream it out. He knew he shouldn't say anything. He didn't. But he couldn't help himself to start sobbing.

Credence could see how the wizard started to move from his bed. Maybe now he would be punished. Be punished for crying and bother him, for trying to run away and for hurting so many people back in New York. He deserved it, and he knew it, though he didn't want to feel the pain anymore.

Newt carefully placed a hand on the silhuette's arm in the dark, completely swamped with the situation that laid down before him. He had never been good with people, regardless how hard he tried and regardless of what happened in front of him, but he wanted to help this poor shadow of himself from the bottom of his heart. The boy shifted away from the touch, just to embrace it a moment later. The sobbing became a weeping, and all fear and panic flew out of him until it ebbed away. The crying became a silent whimpering before the boy fell exhausted into Newts arms. He held him close, heard the whimper vanish, the shivering ceased and he felt the body went limp in his arms. His heart calmed down. Carefully, Newt stroked his back up and down, showed him that he is still here, and didn't want to hurt him. He held him for a while until he found the boy asleep in his arms.

 

Credence didn't know where he was as he woke up, beneath him laid something unfamiliar that he had never felt before. He opened and rubbed his eyes, as he felt it shifting beneath him. Completely awoken by now and filled with utter horror, he saw the Wizard much too close to him. He pushed himself away as fast as he could, just wanted to get away from him, but the wall pushed him back into the man's arms. Newt felt that the now awoken boy didn't want him near him anymore, and carefully got away from him, down from the bed. "Good morning." The wizard just said and looked at him with too expectant eyes. "Sir, what... Did you sleep?" asked the boy, and the man shifted around on his place. "No, I couldn't. I had just too much I had to think about, but I'm glad you did. You had a real bad panic attack last night, I didn't want to leave you after you broke together. I hope that was no problem for you." replied Newt frightened. Anxiety met the horror. Had he really had a panic attack? Did he really let the wizard see it? Why was he so damn unwary! He would use it against him! "I'm sorry sir, this will never happen again." "Stop calling me sir, please and call me Newt. It is okay to have a breakdown after all you have been through, you don't need to be ashamed or frightened. I promised you to help you and to be there for you whenever you need me includes that. I may be awkward and annoying, and please tell me if I am, but I will do my best." Credence stared into his eyes. The eye contact suddenly became too much for Newt to bear and he looked to his case. "Food... hunger..." He mumbled until he felt comfortable enough to meet the boys eyes again. "Are you hungry?" asked Newt, and the Boy nodded. The wizard's eyes shifted to something else again, and his motions became unsettled. He waved the boy into the case as he climbed down. Credence was still glued on his spot on the bed. It took a moment until he was able to move towards the man.

The light in the case was more intensive as the morning sun in the cabin was, and his eyes started to hurt for a moment, before they adjusted to it. With cautious steps, he walked until he reached the table and the man. Newt turned around for a second and said: "Please, make yourself comfortable. I will have finished our breakfast, soon."

They ate in silence. Credence saw the wizard a few times glancing at him. He clearly did and does not want to look at Credence for too long. Who would want that, the boy thought. No one ever wanted to see into his face longer than he had to. No one wanted to look at an ugly, broken face, a monster. He lost his appetite and put the rest of what he ate on the plate. _Mam would punish me for leaving something to eat on the plate_ , he thought and picked it up again. Newt looked at the scene that happened before him, and he asked: "Did I do something wrong?" Credence eyes met with Newts in shock. Wasn't that something he should say rather than the man before him? "No, I just... It's nothing." Newts eyes wandered where they have been before. The silence between them became awkward until the wizard broke it again. He stood, put his plate in the sink and said: "I'm going to feed my creatures, you can come with me if you want or you can go back up to the ship and look out the window. The sea outside clams me sometimes when I'm too stressed, what happens often when I'm traveling. I would advice to not leave the cabin. Someone could recognize you or one of the ship crew could see you." Credence didn't know what to do. Going back to the ship did sound appealing, but just to try to run away. He hasn't even the chance to flee from this ship as long as was is in the sea. "I could need some help feeding them if you want to come with me." Was this an order? It must have been, Credence couldn't help himself but to think that it had to be one. Perhaps the creatures were carnivorous and the Wizard wanted to feed him to them. Suddenly, all the fear and panic were creeping back into Credence skin. That it must be, that is why the wizard had fed him and made him defenseless. A cold shiver ran down his spine, and he felt the Obscurus back in him, it had recovered itself to its old strength.

His edges blurred into dark mist until he vanished into it. Newt turned around and could just stare in awe. The huge Obscurus sprawled over him, ready to push him down and to kill him. The wizard took some steps back. Fear crawling on him, his body started to tremble. Was this his end? Should he really end from a hand of a boy, of an human, rather than from one of his creatures? He knew his ingenuousness would be his dead, sooner or later. The Obscurus goes down on him, he felt the freezing cold on his skin, felt all warmth being taken and how the life left him. Yes, this was his end.

Dugal saw the future, how his beloved friend got killed by the Obscurus, the one he tried to safe. He became visible and took Newts hand, dragged him away from Credence, who started to turn to blackness. The man was confused because of the Demiguises sudden behaviour. He turned around and could only see the Obscurus heading to him. He grabbed Dugal and ran as fast as he could to the Obscurus-habitat, leaving Dugal somewhere on the way in the hope he could save his creatures if he turned the attention to himself.

The freezing cold pushed into his face and the snow made it harder for him to run properly. In the distance, another black blurr headed into his direction. The girls Obscurus. Credence Obscurus caught up quite fast, and Newt knew, this may be his end. He won't make it out of here alive. He stopped and watched both Obscuri approach him.

When he closed his eyes and hoped for a fast death, it never came. Both Obscuri stopped near him, and he noticed that he made himself smaller, as if he would look less intimidating to Credence with that. It was an instinct, Newt knew, it had saved his life a couple of times. He was still petrified as he watched Credence turn back to his human form. He didn't dare to move, tho. Credence charged to the wizard, his face plastered with a shocked expression. He stumbled and dropped on his knees in front of Newt. "I am sorry, I am so sorry, sir! I -I thought you wanted to feed me to your creatures, I felt the Obscurus, I wanted to protect myself, I- I couldn't..." He broke out in tears. "I couldn't know you said the truth!" he cried out before he clinged to himself, crouching on the ground. Newt body still trembled, but he risked to move again. He approached the boy with shivering, scared hands. They laid themself on the arms of this poor creature before him, and the man tried to speak, his voice frightened: "It is okay, you didn't do something wrong, you just scared me..." He needed to gulp. "Very, very much scared me. Oh lord..." His legs gave in and he slumped down in front of the boy. "I– I can understand if- if you don't want to help me anymore, I- I don't deserve it! I don't deserve it!" Newts hands stroked his arms. "I would never push you away from me, Credence. Some of my creatures hurt me really bad, and I didn't leave them for it, and I will not begin now. I will never, you hear, never do that." Credence looked in his still frightened, but kind eyes. It hurt him more to see them still so kind. He should just leave him, leave him like everyone else, forget about him and never look back. He was a killer, destroyer, a monster! He pushed himself into the wizards gentle arms.

They sat long in the snow, warming themselves up with their hug until both calmed down.

They fed the creatures together, some of them still aroused by the Obscurus frame, his anger decayed appearance and his attack against their friend. Some of them intelligent enough to see the Obscurus linger in Credence, looking with angry eyes on him, still suspicious and didn't walk into his proximity.

At the end, Credence turned around to Newt: "Sir, I don't know..." Newt interrupted him: "Don't call me sir, call me Newt. I feel like I have been up to something, well, something more than usually, and I feel uncomfortable if you call me that." "Sir, I mean Newt, I don't know where you want me to sleep. I don't think you want me to stay in the case with your still angry creatures. Shall I sleep up on the ship?" Newt thought about that. He didn't think it was wise to leave the boy completely alone on a ship. He glimpsed to him and shook his head. "No, you don't need to sleep alone, you can stay in here with me. You can take the bed, I think I will sleep somewhere here with my creatures, isn't the first time I do this, and if anything is wrong, you will find me." Credence nodded. He wasn't comfortable with sleeping in Newts bed, but the other seemed to be happy with it. They ate dinner in silence, wished each other a good night and headed to bed.

Completely exhausted, Newt let himself drop into the bed he had made out of straw, in the near his Occamys. The day had been more demanding as his whole trip in New York was. Dugal, who had hidden himself the whole time, finally appeared again on Newts side. He looked at the Demiguise and stroked his soft fur. He never had problems to look at his creatures or normal animals, but humans, humans made it difficult for him. Their faces made him feel awkward, he couldn't look at them for too long, or they start to reshape in front of him. He knew that it was just in his head, but still, the feeling is just too strong to withstand the wish to just look at something else. That was just one thing people found annoying, his natural restlessness and his mumbling, babbling and talking about things they don't want to hear and knew about made them just dislike him more. He couldn't help himself, he knew he was odd, and the only ones who never turned their back on him were his creatures. He knew that Credence will leave him like all the others at the end when he had enough of him. Newt was always a loner. Even with his thoughts and worries, sleep came fast this time.

 

He could feel something walking over his face. It felt like a spider. Credence hated spiders, they scared him. His eyes opened wide and he snatched it. Before he could throw it away in horror, he saw that it was no spider, it was just a Bowtruckle. He relaxed at the sight and eased the grip around it as he put it down on the mattress. The little creature protested because of his harsh grip and walked with an angry Bowtruckle-face away. Newt had told him about this little walking branches as he had fed them. Credence laid back down and pulled the blanket higher over his body. It wasn't cold, but the warmth just felt too good to let go. He never had a warm blanket. His one back at the church of the Second Salemers had been thin and full of holes. It had been cold in summer nights and freezing cold at winter nights. And this one smelled good - like Newt had as he had hugged him. No, he definitely didn't want to let go of it.

He heard footsteps on the ground and Newts voice discussing something with someone. Credence grip on the blanket tightened... And then it was silent...

As he finally got up to look after Newt, he was able to hear something squeaking as he got closer to the door. Then he heard Newt again: "No Pickett, he certainly didn't meant to do that, don't make yourself ridiculous. Sure, he may be frightening here and there, but he doesn't mean it like that..." The squeaking reappeared. "Yes, yes, he almost did that, but do you remember how Frank almost bit my head and wanted to eat you?" A protesting sound escaped with whatever Newt is talking to. "No, it is the same! Look, just don't run over him when he sleeps, okay? I know how it feels when your feets tickle my skin and I almost got a heart attack today as I woke up." Credence turned the door knob around and approached them. Newts face went to beam at Credence, and he said excitedly: "Good morning Credence! I'm so sorry that this bad Bowtruckle woke you up, he can be really rude when he doesn't get his attention." Pickett jumped offended away. Credence shook his head: "No, I don't mind it. But for a moment I thought that he is a spider, I really dislike spiders, they are creepy. I'm really sorry that I almost hurt him. He shouldn't do this with me." The wizard nodded as his look went to the allready prepared food in front of him. "Breakfast is ready, I was just waiting for you. Any tea?" The boy pulled a face. "No, thank you s- Newt. I am really not into tea." Credence sat down. "I am afraid I don't have any coffee here, I could give you some juice if you want, but that's it." "Nor am I into coffee. I never had any juice, mom had forbidden it..." He became silent. Newt knew that this was a hard topic for the boy, so he just put apple juice in front of him. "Thank you" muttered the boy and drunk hastily, until he and Newt grabbed the first bread from the plate and ate.

This time, Newt thought, they shouldn't eat in silence, and he tried to start another conversation: "How old are you, I don't know anything about you but what you are, what your name is and where you lived. I am 29." Credence stopped eating for a moment and thought about it. "I don't know, I never celebrated my birthday... I don't know when I was born..." he told the man, and he lifted one of his eyebrows in return. "That is... I don't even know a word for this. This goes far above cruelty. Okay, there might be a spell to find out your age, but I never tried it out on humans, just my creatures. And it doesn't tell us your exact birthday, just the years that had passed since then." Now Credence stopped completely to eat, curious about what Newt tried to suggest. "Could you try it?" He asked, something in him bouncing with delight. "Sure! Wait..." He grabbed in his pocket and pulled out his wand. "I will just point it and then..." He pointed it towards Credence and waited a second. The front of the wand was glowing with a light blue light, then he stared at Credence as he turned it down. "What?" asked the boy as Newt just continued to stare. "I don't know..." The wizard stopped mid-sentence, and Credence expectant gaze changed to a disappointed look on his food. "No, don't get me wrong, I got your age but... Credence, I don't know how you could survive THAT long with an Obscurus in you." His face went up questioning. "How old am I?" He asked. "Credence, you are 19. Most people that carry an Obscurial in them don't get older than 11, and I assumed you would be 15 or latest 16, not 19." The boys face went blank. "And how long do I still have?" Newt shrugged. "I don't know that either. You are already older than expected. You could die right now or you could die naturally at the age of 70, or never since you survived that MACUSAs attack." told him Newt in awe. "What is a Macusa?" "Not a Macusa, the MACUSA. It is the Magical Congress of the United States of America, even if I find that title a bit hypocritical since they live like in the medieval. They don't even want witches and wizards pairing with muggles..." "What is the muggles?" "Oh lord, I forgot you know nothing about our world. Muggles are people who don't possess any magical talent. The witches and wizards in the United States call them no-majs." Credence nodded. "So muggles are people like me." The wizard shook his head and leaned on the table: "No Credence, you are not a muggle, you are an Obscurus. Obscurial can just evolve from children who possess magical talent, when the magic gets suppressed. You would be a wizard if this Obscurial never evolved in you."

Silence struk in like a fist between them for a while. Then Credence asked the only question that got into his mind after all that he had heard: "Can you get it out of me?" Suddenly, Newts face became very sad and he looked away again. "I don't think so. That Obscurial you saw in this habitat... I tried to get it out from the girl, but it was too late and she died." "I know that. she told me." Newt nodded. "Well, I am afraid that you and your Obscurial... fused. You could have never survived the attack of the MACUSA if you haven't, your body would have died down there that day. I think no one can separate you from it, you are the Obscurus now. And I fear that I hadn't had the strength to separate you from it back then before they attacked you. I know some who may have the strength and who would have done it for me but now... I can just help you to get along with it, help you get a better control and perhaps you have still the ability to cast spells. Time will tell..." Credences face didn't look happy with that answer, but it was more than he could have asked for. "Thank you." Credence says. "For what?" "for being honest with me. And for trying to help me, even if I am just trouble..." This is the first time Credence wished that Newt wouldn't look at him. "You aren't just trouble. Sure, I have to think about some things before we arrive in Plymouth, and I'm aware of the fact that it will not be a cakewalk, but I'm happy that I at least have the chance to help you. And I assure you, I can be as troublesome as you." "I don't think that." He glanced back at Newt, who looked at him with serious, honest eyes. "I have problems, too. I am not good with humans, not as good as I am with my creatures. People think I'm odd, annoying and creepy..." This is the first time he caught a smile on Crendence's face. "What?" asked the wizard a bit offended. "Nothing it is just... Normally, I am the one who says that about himself." Newt smiled back. Credence had wanted to say that he already saw that the wizard was odd, that he wasn't able to hold eye contact for long, but he exactly knew how it feels to get this told, he wasn't able to do that himself, he was too shy, too insecure.

 


End file.
